Chef Nguyen to Launch New Menu July 29th

July 26, 2013

Zentan Executive Chef Jennifer Nguyen. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Washington, DC (July 24, 2013)– Zentan’s recently installed executive chef, Jennifer Nguyen, will unveil her complete new menu July 29 after joining the restaurant in the spring. Having worked in award-winning restaurants including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, Iron Chef Morimoto’s Morimoto and San Francisco’s Ozumo, Nguyen is bringing new Japanese influences to the Kimpton Donovan House hotel restaurant’s modern Asian concept, including cook-at-the-table hot plates, playful nigiri, and a series of James Bond-inspired maki.

The new dinner menu features a mix of shareable small plates, including:

– Cold Plates: Cold plates include a variety of appetizers and salads, such as a seasonal white fish ceviche with a kick of morita chili water and house-made ginger crisp; dino kale salad with roasted cauliflower, fuji apples, red grapes and ginger miso.

– Robata Grill: Using a variety of skewers to complement the delicateness and heat requirements of various vegetables, fish and meats, robata grill offerings include kinokobacon-wrapped mushroom skewers with ponzu sauce; gindara grilled cod with pickled daikon.

– Hot Plates: Seafood, vegetarian and meat options abound, including a melt-in-your-mouth miyazaki beef, which you cook at the table using hot Japanese river rocks; pekin chicken with bao buns, black garlic hoisin and cucumber; crossroads tacos with kalbi marinated skirt steak served on soft tacos with shaved cabbage and jalapeno.

– Lunch Offerings: In addition to many of the plates listed above, the lunch menu includes Chef Nguyen’s seasonal pho; a duck reuben with gruyere, mizuna and Korean kimchi served on rye with mixed greens; lemongrass chicken banh mi with cilantro, cucumber, kewpie and jalapeño served with mixed greens; and a Bento Box series pairing popular rolls with seaweed salad.

The menu is also complemented by a far-reaching sake program developed in collaboration with Kimpton Master Sommelier Emily Wines, including tasting flights. The new menu is complemented by a sake program featuring 25 distinctly sip-worthy offerings, including junmai ginjo and daiginjo, nigori, namazake, shochu, specialty sakes and umeshu plum wines ranging from $6-25 per glass. Happy hour is 3-7 p.m.

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Hi! I'm Michael. I’m a communications, public relations, sales and marketing expert living in Washington, DC. I share "stories of success" for various industries including luxury retail, skincare, healthcare, education and entertainment. I've presented on digital story telling for the hospitality industry and American Indian Affairs.